Operations Manager – Western Balkans

The Operations Manager for the Western Balkans will serve as the central coordination point for all operational functions across a six-country regional portfolio (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). The position will establish and maintain systems to ensure that field-based contractual, financial, and administrative processes are executed efficiently, consistently, and in compliance with IRI and donor requirements. The Operations Manager will track and oversee workflows across countries, coordinate closely with DC- and field-based teams including the project delivery team, and proactively manage operational requirements so that program staff can focus on delivering political and programmatic objectives.

Job location: Belgrade, Serbia

Responsibilities include:

• Serve as the primary focal point for day-to-day operational coordination across six countries, ensuring consistency and compliance with internal and donor requirements
• In coordination with the DC based Project Delivery team, create and contribute to systems to track contracts, procurement actions, payments, and key operational milestones across the region
• Identify, vet, and maintain relationships with local vendors and service providers across the region, ensuring adherence to IRI procurement standards
• Coordinate the development, negotiation, execution, and tracking of contracts, in local language, for consultants, vendors, and service providers, ensuring alignment with approved procurement processes
• Lead and support competitive procurement processes, including gathering bids/quotes, ensuring completeness of bid documentation, and supporting cost reasonableness and selection decisions
• Engage vendors throughout the procurement lifecycle, including clarifying scopes of work, negotiating terms where appropriate, and ensuring alignment with project requirements and budgets
• Liaise with DC-based regional, procurement, and project delivery teams to ensure timely processing and compliance with internal policies and procedures
• Support the collection of documentation for invoice processing and financial reporting, and monitor expenditures and billing processes for accuracy and timeliness
• Maintain complete, organized, and audit-ready documentation across all operational areas and proactively flag risks or delays to relevant stakeholders
• Act as a bridge between DC and field-based program, finance, procurement, and administrative teams to streamline coordination
• Support program teams by managing operational requirements and timelines, reducing administrative burden and enabling programmatic delivery
• Perform other duties, as assigned
• Reference: WQ2_k5tFpzm9sJFJ7IBWZBalMve60M3YcWW8LAIQMra-6HaqK5JHZoEX2irxwZzF

Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree in non-profit management, political science or related field. Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience with demonstrated experience in the above aspects of work.
• Fluency in Serbian, business fluency in written and spoken English; 
• 10  years of experience supporting the office operations of an international organization or NGO 
• Commitment to Serbia’s democratic development 
• Demonstrated experience multi-tasking skills with attention to detail, organization and time management skills.
• Experience following standard practices and procedures with ability to contribute to projects and initiatives.
• Extensive experience working with USG funded projects and familiarity with USG regulations and processes.
• Strong written and oral communication skills. Ability to communicate skills and experience to others as a trainer and advisor.
• Demonstrated resourcefulness in problem-solving and initiative to learn new skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team to coordinate and lead the efforts of other professionals to effectively meet organizational goals.
• Commitment to IRI values with specific focus on Excellence, Teamwork and Accountability.
• Experience with online financial management software required. Experience with JAMIS preferred.
• Experience pro-actively anticipating, identifying and analyzing complex problems and developing creative solutions.
• Willingness and ability to travel

Please, submit your cover letter and CV.  Early applications are encouraged. Only selected candidates will be contacted.